Horse or the like shoe device

ABSTRACT

A horse or the like shoe device, readily attachable to and removable from a hoof, comprises a first hook formed with an upwardly convex flange on a shoe part toe portion closed at its top and curled rearwardly, downwardly and forwardly in the toe portion and opening toward the bottom of the shoe part, and a toe piece provided with a second hook having an upwardly convex flange and being curled correspondingly to the curl of the first hook flange and interengageable with the first hook for removably connecting the toe piece to the shoe part. Means such as a bail engages the toe piece and is connected to the rear of the shoe part for maintaining the toe piece in contact with the hoof front and for retaining the hooks interengaged with one another, thereby retaining the shoe part attached to the hoof. Guide means are provided to facilitate interengagement of the two flange portions.

United States Patent 91 Stubblefield [4 1 Jan. 23, 1973 1 1 HORSE OR THELIKE SHOE DEVICE Maurice Stubblefield, Clancy, Mont. 59634 [22] Filed:March 18, 1971 [21] Appl.No.: 125,598

[76] lnventor:

[52] U.S. Cl ..168/22, 168/19 [51] Int. Cl. ..A01l 3/04 [58] Field ofSearch ..168/3,l0,18,19, 22

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Primary Examiner-Louis G.Mancene Assistant ExaminerJames H. Czerwonky Att0rneyBaldwin, Wight &Brown [57] ABSTRACT A horse or the like shoe device, readily attachableto and removable from a hoof, comprises a first hook formed with anupwardly convex flange on a shoe part toe portion closed at its top andcurled rearwardly, downwardly and forwardly in the toe portion andopening toward the bottom of the shoe part, and a toe piece providedwith a second hook having an upwardly convex flange and being curledcorrespondingly to the curl of the first hook flange and interengageablewith the first hook for removably connecting the toe piece to the shoepart. Means such as a bail engages the toe piece and is connected to therear of the shoe part for maintaining the toe piece in contact with thehoof front and for retaining the hooks interengaged with one another,thereby retaining the shoe part attached to the hoof. Guide means areprovided to facilitate interengagement of the two flange portions.

8 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures PATENTEDJAN 23 I975 INVENTOR MAURICESTUBBLEFIELD BY a M ATTORNEYS IIORSE OR THE LIKE SHOE DEVICE Thisinvention relates to improvements in or relating to horse or the like(animal) shoe devices, and more particularly to such devices as mayreadily be applied to and removed from an animal hoof without therequirement for special tools or the services of a professional orskilled farrier.

It is known that horses, either work or saddle, frequently requireshoeing more promptly than would be possible if the owner would have totake the animal to a farrier, or await response to a call for thefarrier to come to the owners place. For dealing with such cir-.

cumstances, there have been a number of prior art proposals to providean animal shoe which may serve at least temporarily and which mayreadily be applied and removed by anyone having a fair working knowledgeof handling horses. The present invention relates to this general classof readily appliable and removable animal shoe devices.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved shoe device of thegeneral character stated above which is of simple and inexpensiveconstruction, and which may readily be applied to and removed from ahoof without the necessary exercising of a farriers skill.

Another object of the invention is to provide such a device which ischaracterized by a simple and effective arrangement of hooks forattaching a toe piece to a shoe proper part.

Other objects of the invention will become apparent from a reading ofthe following more detailed description of a representative constructionembodying the invention, the appended claims, and the accompanyingdrawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a device embodying the inventionattached to an animal hoof;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the device shown in FIG. 1 with the hoofomitted and a toe piece included in the device being partly broken awaymore clearly to show the connection of the toe piece to a shoe part;

FIG. 3 is a rear elevational view of the device with the parts in thepositions they occupy when the device is attached to a hoof, but withthe hoof itself omitted.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary section on the line 44 of FIG. 2, showing theparts in the same relative positions as in FIGS. 1-3;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view, also on the line 44 of FIG. 2,but showing a toe piece in an intermediate position as when beingconnected to the shoe art; p FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a guidemember; and

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary perspective view of the toe piece.

Considered in its general nature, the representative embodiment of thedevice shown in the drawings comprises a shoe part generally designatedS, a toe piece T hooked at its lower end to the front of the shoe partS, and means M engaging the toe piece T above the hooking of the toepiece T to the shoe part S and being connected to the rear of the shoepart S so as to maintain the toe piece T in contact with the front ofthe animal hoof H, thereby retaining the toe piece T and shoe part S inhooking engagement so as to maintain the device firmly attached to thehoof H.

The shoe part S, as viewed in plan, is of the more or less conventionalhorseshoe configuration, i.e. being of modified U-shape. In the formshown, the shoe part S is of tubular cross section although the shoepart may be of othercross sections such as at least solid in part. Thetop of the shoe part S is provided with a number of pointed projectionsor spurs 1 adapted to be extended into the hoof I-I.

Considering the construction of the shoe part S more specifically, it ishollow at its front, as shown being tubular. The toe portion at thefront of the tubular shoe part S is slitted at two spaced locations 2, 2to provide a front hook 3 formed of a flange and a rear ear 4. The hook3 extends rearwardly and then downwardly. In forming the hook 3, thematerial between the slits 2, 2 is curled rearwardly and downwardly andterminates with its lower free edge spaced above the bottom of thehollow front part of the shoe part S, thus leaving a gap between thehook 3 free edge and the bottom of the shoe part toe portion. The hook 3is closed at its top and opens downwardly toward the bottom of the shoepart S.

The toe piece T includes a flat blade 5 formed at its lower end with asecond hook 6 formed of a flange which is curved correspondingly to thecurvature of the first hook 3. The second hook 6 is also formed with twocurved steadying parts 7, 7 disposed on opposite sides of the secondhook 6, the purpose of the parts 7, 7 being explained hereinafter.

In order to affix the device to a hoof H, the shoe part S is firstplaced under the hoof H and tapped upwardly so as to project the spurs 1into the hoof. The toe piece T is then positioned in front of the shoepart S and the hook 6 at the bottom of the toe piece is inserted overthe top of the first hook as shown in FIG. 5. In order to facilitateinsertion of the hook 6 over the hook 3, a U- shaped guide G having legs8, 8 and a connecting part 9 is mounted on the ear 4. The guide legs 8,8 extend loosely through openings in the ear 4 and toward the front ofthe shoe part S, the legs 8, 8 being offset upwardly as shown in FIGS. 4and 5 to overlie the hook 3. The guide G, being loosely mounted on theear 4, can rock vertically just enough to facilitate insertion of thetoe piece ear 6 between the forward ends of the guide legs 8, 8 and thetop of the hook 3 without binding, nevertheless assisting in guiding thehook 6 during its insertion over the hook 3. After the hook 6 has beeninserted between the guide legs 8, 8 and the hook 3 as shown in FIG. 5,the toe piece T is swung clockwise as viewed in the drawings to theposition shown in FIG. 4 so that the hooks 3 and 6 will be interengagedon mating curved surfaces of substantial area of contact to maintain thetoe piece T against detachment from the shoe part S as long as the toepiece remains in the angular position with respect to the shoe part Sshown in FIG. 4.

The means generally designated M holds the toe piece T in its FIG. 4position in contact with the hoof front to retain the entire deviceattached to the hoof. In the form shown, the means M comprises a wire orthe like ball 10 having hooked ends 11, Il engaged with loops 12, I2anchored to the sides of the shoe part S. In securing the means M, onehook end 11 of the bail 10 may readily behooked to a companion loop 12and the other hooked end 11 straightened out and passed through theother loop 12, after which the last mentioned hooked end 11 may be bentback to its hooking position.

When the toe piece T is held against the front of the hoof H and thehooks 3 and 6 are thus held in operative interengagement, the steadyingparts 7, 7 engage the top of the shoe part S as shown in FIGS. 2 and 4so as to prevent tipping of the toe piece T laterally about theinterengaged hooks 3 and 6.

It is apparent that in order to remove the device from the animals hoof,it is necessary only to straighten one hook end of the bail l and detachit from its associated loop 12, remove the bail, and rock the toe piececounterclockwise from the position shown in FIG. 4 to permit the hook 6to be disengaged from the hook 3.

The construction shown embodies the invention in a preferred form, butthe disclosure is intended to be illustrative rather than definitive ofthe invention,

I claim:

1. A horse or the like shoe device readily attachable to and removablefrom a hoof, comprising a shoe part with a toe portion at its front,said toe portion having a first hook comprising a flange formed with anupwardly convex top portion and being curled rearwardly and downwardlyand forwardly in said toe portion and opening toward the bottom of saidshoe part; a toe piece formed with a second hook comprising a flangehaving an upwardly convex top portion and being curled correspondinglyto the curling of said first hook and interengaging with said first hookon mating curved surfaces of substantial area of contact a portion ofsaid second hook flange extending under and in contact with theforwardly curled part of said first hook flange for removably connectingsaid toe piece to said shoe part; and means engaging said toe pieceabove said hooks and being connected to said shoe part at the rear ofsaid shoe part toe portion for maintaining said toe piece in contactwith the hoof front and for retaining said hooks interengaged with oneanother and thereby retaining said device attached to the hoof.

2. A horse or the like shoe device according to claim 1 in which saidtoe piece is provided on opposite sides of said second hook part withsteadying parts engageable with the top of said shoe part when said hookparts are interengaged, thereby to hold said toe piece against lateraltipping about the interengaged books.

3. A horse or the like shoe device according to claim 1 in which saidshoe part toe portion is hollow, and is slitted at two spaced locations,the material between the slits being curled rearwardly and downwardly toform said first hook flange, the downturned end of said first hookterminating in spaced relation to the bottom of said hollow toe portionto receive said second hook.

4. A horse or the like shoe device according to claim 3, in which saidfirst hook extends rearwardly from the shoe part toe portion and thendownwardly, leaving a gap between the free edge of said first hook andthe front of the shoe part toe portion.

5. A horse or the like shoe device according to claim 3 in which saidshoe part toe portion is provided with an ear to the rear of and spacedfrom said first hook, said device further including a guide memberextending forwardly from said ear and overlying said first hook inspaced relation thereto.

6. A horse or the like shoe device according to claim 5 in which saidguide member is generally U-shaped and comprises spaced leg? and aconnectin part, said legs extending forwardly rough said ear anoverlying said first hook and being spaced vertically thereabove, saidsecond hook being extended between said guide legs and said first hook,said guide legs facilitating the placement of said second hook inengagement with said first hook.

7. A horse or the like shoe device according to claim 6 in which saidguide legs extend loosely through respective openings in said ear,whereby said guide member can rock vertically to enable insertion ofsaid second h'ook between said guide legs and said first hook.

8. A horse or the like shoe device according to claim 6 in which theguide leg portions extending in front of said ear are offset upwardlyfrom the leg portions extending rearwardly through said ear.

1. A horse or the like shoe device readily attachable to and removablefrom a hoof, comprising a shoe part with a toe portion at its front,said toe portion having a first hook comprising a flange formed with anupwardly convex top portion and being curled rearwardly and downwardlyand forwardly in said toe portion and opening toward the bottom of saidshoe part; a toe piece formed with a second hook comprising a flangehaving an upwardly convex top portion and being curled correspondinglyto the curling of said first hook and interengaging with said first hookon mating curved surfaces of substantial area of contact a portion ofsaid second hook flange extending under and in contact with theforwardly curled part of said first hook flange for removably connectingsaid toe piece to said shoe part; and means engaging said toe pieceabove said hooks and being connected to said shoe part at the rear ofsaid shoe part toe portion for maintaining said toe piece in contactwith the hoof front and for retaining said hooks interengaged with oneanother and thereby retaining said device attached to the hoof.
 2. Ahorse or the like shoe device according to claim 1 in which said toepiece is provided on opposite sides of said second hook part withsteadying parts engageable with the top of said shoe part when said hookparts are interengaged, thereby to hold said toe piece against lateraltipping about the interengaged hooks.
 3. A horse or the like shoe deviceaccording to claim 1 in which said shoe part toe portion is hollow, andis slitted at two spaced locations, the material between the slits beingcurled rearwardly and downwardly to form said first hook flange, thedownturned end of said first hook terminating in spaced relation to thebottom of said hollow toe portion to receive said second hook.
 4. Ahorse or the like shoe device according to claim 3, in which said firsthook extends rearwardly from the shoe part toe portion and thendownwardly, leaving a gap between the free edge of said first hook andthe front of the shoe part toe portion.
 5. A horse or the like shoedevice according to claim 3 in which said shoe part toe portion isprovided with an ear to the rear of and spaced from said first hook,said device further including a guide member extending forwardly fromsaid ear and overlying said first hook in spaced relation thereto.
 6. Ahorse or the like shoe device according to claim 5 in which said guidemember is generally U-shaped and comprises spaced legs and a connectingpart, said legs extending forwardly through said ear and overlying saidfirst hook and being spaced vertically thereabove, said second hookbeing extended between said guide legs and said first hook, said guidelegs facilitating the placement of said second hook in engagement withsaid first hook.
 7. A horse or the like shoe device according to claim 6in which said guide legs extend loosely through respective openings insaid ear, whereby said guide member can rock vertically to enableinsertion of said second hook between said guide legs and said firsthOok.
 8. A horse or the like shoe device according to claim 6 in whichthe guide leg portions extending in front of said ear are offsetupwardly from the leg portions extending rearwardly through said ear.